Thanks to the CDCTA, and Ellie Maine, Perkins and I had a fantastic time with Elisa Wallace at Azrael Acres this last weekend. Riding in a clinic with Elisa would not have been possible without obtaining a scholarship from our club, which makes my experience so much more special!Day one consisted of two hours of pole work, which just so happened to be a important tool that would help my training immensely. In this session I learned how capable my pony really is, and was able to diffuse a few bad habits I've collected along my journey. This was especially important to me as my goal of 2018 was to become the most effective Rider I could possibly be for my green pony. Day two was Cross Country where I really got to push out of my comfort zone and trust in the skills I've learned from my trainer. I had a handful of Ah-Ha! moments that I cannot wait to take back to the farm and build on. Thank you so much to Elisa, Azrael Acres for hosting this clinic, and the CDCTA for giving me to opportunity to expand my knowledge to better my horse.

Thanks to the CDCTA Scholarship Committee I was able to attend this clinic hosted by Ann Bowie at Horse Power Farm. There were approximately twenty people for the three hour classroom portion in the morning. The afternoon featured six riders, all were varied in skill level and goals. If you attended the CDCTA Luncheon last January was the guest speaker and author of the book “THE RIDERS BRAIN.” Her concept of the Lizard Brain and how it affects our riding is not only educational, it also gives insight to the rider’s behavior and reactions.My situation goes like this: I was lucky enough to have the perfect horse for about ten years. He was forward, brave, and a lot of fun. No matter what, I could always say, “don’t worry about us, we are fine.” We hunter paced, did some elementary eventing, even a couple of hunter shows for fun. Due to age he was sadly put down. My next horse was not anything like him, he is now retired in my back yard after he dirty dumped too many times over a four year period. Yes, it took me that long to figure out that he was not the right match for me It was time to get another horse and I purchased Perkins last summer. He is young and somewhat green when I got him. Our program was moving along nicely, when somewhere I lost my nerve and started overreacting to the even slightest shy. I pretty much took the winter off, (figured he did not need me hanging on him) and tried to figure out what happened to me. Perhaps it was buried from the many “dumps” I had taken from my previous horse, the final time I thought I had broken a hip.Listening to Andrea at the luncheon and purchasing her book were steps in the right direction. When I heard about her clinic after coming back to riding in the spring, I knew it would be a positive experience. The clinic opened with a three hour lecture/discussion that flew by. Many of her comments during this still stand out to me. Regarding being afraid to embarrass yourself at a show: “you will not do anything that has not already been done in this sport.” Most of all, as stated in her book, how our brain works to protect us and how we need to not shut that down but how to work with it. The outdoor atmosphere along with her pleasant demeanor was so relaxed. The dialogue flowed between her and many of the participants with varied scenarios, another important piece I came away with is not to manufacture a problem.Andrea’s riders went from a young girl with a rescue mare that was a little hot, that she would like to event, to an adult rider that wanted to ride for the first time off her own property using the round pen. My goal was to ride past the “scary corner,” without my horse blowing off my aides and going sideways. We had improved, by going more forward, but we both were still tense and it was not pretty. After warming up she had me riding down to the corner (with approximately sixteen strangers watching) and analyzing our issues. I know this may sound basic, but she had me prepare way before we got there. This also happens to be his tough direction and uphill a little to it is a little harder for him. One of the techniques that really has worked for me is “soften your elbows,” once again seems simple, but very effective for me. I have to state that a lot of what we worked on I also do in my lessons with my trainer, but I think having to ride in front of people with a clinician and having success does seem to give you a confidence boost. Andrea was mean enough to hang a jacket in said “scary corner,” but with her help and bending and preparing way before we got there, was extremely helpful. I believe the most important thing I came away with was to have a plan, to be prepared and not to wait to I get to a situation, but again, have a plan to handle it before I get there. This has served me well since this clinic and I continue to gain confidence.I would recommend her clinic to anyone that is interested, she is engaging, informative, and her knowledge of how our brain works along with really wanting to ride is so insightful. If you are a beginner to an advanced rider, she will tailor your session to what you need. Once again, I want to thank the CDCTA Scholarship Committee for sponsoring me to be able to attend this clinic.